The prestigious annual Rose D'Or Awards (now in their 55th year) honour the very best of international radio, TV and online entertainment programmes, and the awards ceremony took place last night (Tuesday, September 13th 2016). Over 400 programmes from more than 130 broadcasters and production companies in 33 different countries were submitted for this year’s Rose d’Or awards. For the first time, a new competition category, 'Radio Event Of The Year' was created. We entered European Dawn Chorus in this category, and we're absolutely delighted to let you know that ... drumroll... WE WON!!! We're absolutely thrilled to pieces, and a massive thanks to all our EBU and BirdLife International partners, we couldn't have done it without you! Click here to read more about the 2016 Rose D'Or awards (in which legendary funnyman John Cleese picked up the Lifetime Achievement award), and click here to relive - and re-listen to - all the beautiful Dawn Chorus birdsong from right across Europe.

***STOP PRESS*** Dawn Chorus Picks Up Another Award!

We're thrilled to let you know that on Friday, October 7th, the Dawn Chorus won the Innovation Award at the PPI Radio Awards in Kilkenny!

On Mooney today...

Three listeners take part in our Tuesday Quiz to win a weekend in Kilkenny to celebrate their 'Medieval Week', Jim Wilson reports on a dance group in Cork which integrates disabled and non-disabled performers, we've music from an up-and-coming schoolboy pianist, and Derek wants you to compose a tune for his bells!

Men And Marriage

On the programme yesterday, Derek suggested that men don't really want to get married, and only do so when 'badgered' to do so! Well you responded to that in your droves, and today Brenda Donohue gets some more reaction...

Derek's Bells!

Whenever Derek wants to read out a letter that contains bad language, he uses a bell instead of saying the offending words. He now has quite a collection of bells in different notes: A, B, G# and a Manneken Pis! And he is looking for your compositions of tunes to playing using these notes!

Mooney's Money

We've €1,000 to give away today to save or spend as you please, take a break from your bills, or a make a break to the sun, it's up to you!

For your chance to win the cash, answer the following competition question:

Tuesday, March 25th 2014

True or false: Moscow is the capital of Russia?

If you think you know the answer, call or text the competition line:

ROI: 1515 71 72 00

NI: 0901 293 3501

text MOONEY followed by your answer and name to 57111 (NI and ROI)

Each text entry costs €1 (incl VAT) or GBP £1.00. Calls from the eircom network will cost €1.02 (incl VAT) and from a BT landline will cost GBP £1.02. Calls from other networks and from mobiles will cost more.

Please note, the person named in the entry must be aged 18 years or older as at date of entry.

Competition lines open from 2pm and will close at 4.20pm today, (25/03/14). Please do not enter outside of the advertised competition window as you will be charged for your entry, but your entry will not be included. From time to time, these open/close times may vary. Any change to the standard open/close times will be announced here and on the show. The cash prize winner will be announced on-air towards the end of the Mooney show each day.

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Call Service Provider: Phonovation. Tel: 0818 217 100.

Text Service Provider: Oxygen8/Xiam Interactive. Tel: 0818 444 433

Please do not enter outside the advertised competition open and close times and date(s) as you will be charged, but your entry will not be included in the draw. Please do not enter during programme replays on the RTÉ Radio Player after the advertised close time and date as you will be charged for your entry, but your entry will not be included as the competition will have closed.

Entrants must be aged 18 years or older as at date of entry and a resident of the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland in order to qualify as the prize winner.

Promoter reserves the right to request proof of age, verifiable by birth cert or passport only, and proof of residency, verifiable by recent utility bill only (issued within 6 months of win).

1 x Mooney's Money prize winners will win a €1,000 cash prize. (All cash prizes issued to the winner by euro cheque, made payable to the winner, allow 28 working days for delivery).

By entering the competition, the participants agree to be bound by the terms and conditions; that their surname and county of residence may be announced on-air if they win a prize; and agree to have their details/image/winner sequence used for promotional purposes if required.

Employees of RTÉ, Phonovation, Xiam Interactive and their associated partners, companies or suppliers and their immediate family members are not eligible to win/enter.

RTÉ's decision in relation to selection of winner is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Mooney's Tuesday Quiz

It's Mooney, it's Tuesday ... so it must be time for Mooney’s Tuesday Quiz! And, we have a FANTASTIC prize up for grabs today...

It's a two-night weekend break on April 4th and 5th – so you MUST be free on those dates. It’s to celebrate Ireland’s first-ever medieval week, taking place in Kilkenny!

Your accommodation is in The Ormonde Hotel, it’s based on two people sharing one room and includes breakfast on both mornings.

There's a full programme of events that are included in your prize to celebrate 'Medieval Week' in Kilkenny:

- On Friday night, 'Medieval Matt' will tell you stories as you enjoy Medieval Porter Stew and Cider in Matt the Millers Pub

- On Saturday, you will have free admission to Rothe House where you can try your hand at archery, then you can go on the 'Kilkenny Medieval Costume Walking Tour'. You’ll finish off the day having dinner in TWO locations. First off, a light bite in the Chapter House in St Mary's Cathedral followed by a Cathedral tour. Then you'll have dinner in Kyteler’s Inn where you will sample 'Petronella's poison' with your dinner.

- Finally on Sunday, after breakfast, you can attend a talk in Kilkenny Castle on "William Marshal – the Greatest Knight that ever lived in Kilkenny" at The Parade Tower.

Nevan Jio, Pianist

We're joined in studio today by 17-year-old student Nevan Jio, from The King’s Hospital School in Lucan. Nevan would appear to have the Midas touch in everything he does, whether it’s sport, debating or music.

He recently entered the Excellence Awards for Music, which are run by the Leinster School of Music and Drama, in conjunction with the Royal Irish Academy of Music. There were 14,000 initial entries with a shortlist of 110 - and Nevan won!

Nevan joins us for a chat, and to perform George Gershwin's A Foggy Day and Radiohead's Karma Police.

Eurovision Green Room Party

Join Mooney in our Eurovision Green Room at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Saturday, May 10th 2014. The party takes place in the Circle Club.

If you want to be there, all you have to do is tell us in not more than forty words why you and a friend or friends LOVE the Eurovision. All entrants/attendees must be over 18. If you are lucky enough to receive a golden invitation to our EUROVISION GREEN ROOM you will get to see all the action as it happens live from Copenhagen.

Croi Glan & Integrated Dance

We get e-mails into the show about all kinds of fantastic and wonderful things happening around the country. And we were very happy to be contacted recently by a man called Mike Daley, in Cork. Mike is physically disabled and uses various mobility aids, including a wheelchair, a cane, and a rollator. But that hasn't stopped him becoming quite an accomplished dancer!

Mike is involved in a dance company that integrates disabled and non-disabled dancers in Cork and West Cork. The company is called Croi Glan, and they are preparing for a major performance in West Cork as we speak.

Our reporter, Jim Wilson, went along to meet some of the people involved, including Mike, and today we hear how he got on...

Hedgerows: It is an offence to 'cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy hedgerows on uncultivated land during the nesting season from 1 March to 31 August, subject to certain exceptions'. For more information, click here.

UPDATE: February 29th 2016 - Press Release From BirdWatch Ireland:

Putting the record straight: Dates for burning and hedge-cutting have NOT changed

BirdWatch Ireland, Ireland’s largest conservation charity, is very concerned about misinformation that is currently circulating regarding the dates within which the burning of vegetation and cutting of hedges is permitted. It would like to remind landowners that all burning and cutting must cease on 29th February this year and that burning and cutting remains prohibited from 1st March to 31st August.

Despite attempts by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys T.D., to change the laws regulating these dates by introducing the Heritage Bill 2016 earlier this year, it is important to note that the proposed date changes were ultimately NOT made. This is because the bill failed to pass through both houses of the Oireachtas before the recent dissolution of the Dáil in advance of the general election.

The laws in place governing the dates for hedge-cutting and upland burning therefore remain unchanged. The period within which cutting and burning is prohibited are set down in Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976 (as amended in 2000), which states that:

(a) It shall be an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy, during the period beginning on the 1st day of March and ending on the 31st day of August in any year, any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated.
(b) It shall be an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch during the period mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection (above).

The existing law provides exemptions for road safety and other circumstances and should be read carefully to ensure compliance.

Section 40 of the Wildlife Act exists to protect nesting birds. Many of our upland bird species are in decline and are in danger of extinction in Ireland; amongst them is the Curlew, which has declined by 80%. Many birds which nest in hedgerows into August are also in serious decline, including the endangered Yellowhammer. The changes to the cutting and burning dates which had been proposed in the now-defunct Heritage Bill 2016 would have caused serious impacts to these birds. A petition launched by BirdWatch Ireland in conjunction with several other national conservation organisations to stop these changes attracted more than 16,200 signatures and rising.

BirdWatch Ireland would also like to advise members of the public that if they see hedges being cut or fires in the uplands on or after 1st March, such activity could be illegal. In such cases, we would encourage people to contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service (www.npws.ie) to report such activity.

BirdWatch Ireland warmly welcomes the demise of the Heritage Bill 2016 and sincerely hopes that any future administration will consider the importance of Ireland’s natural heritage and will not attempt to reintroduce such a flawed and damaging piece of legislation.

RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Ireland's National Public Service Broadcaster.RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Images courtesy of Inpho.ie and Getty Images.